Wednesday, September 30, 2015

Dance Dance Revolution - The System 573 - FAQ & GameList - DDR

The System 573: FAQ/GameList
A general guide to using your arcade unit.

What is the System 573?

The System 573, or just 573 for short, is an arcade hardware unit produced by Konami in the late 1990's through the early 2000s. It is based on Playstation 1 hardware. Most notably, it was used in all of the original mixes of several Bemani games, including Dance Dance Revolution, Drummania, GuitarFreaks, and DanceManiax.

Are there different types of 573s?

Yes. There are two different variations to concern yourself with.

Analog

An analog 573 is a 573 unit that does not contain a digital io board. It will have a different expansion board depending on what game the 573 is from or no expansion board at all. Analog Bemani mixes have whats referred to as an "analog io board" despite being completely unrelated to audio processing. Analog mixes, denoted AN, require the analog output of the CD-ROM drive to be hooked to the 573 main board (the GX700) directly.

If you have a digital 573 and wish to play analog mixes, you unfortunately cannot use the audio cable currently in your 573 as the end connected to the digital io board will not fit in the CD-ROM. If you have an old 573 from a game like a fisherman's bait, it has a cable that can be used. Otherwise, you'll probably have to splice one together or something.

Note 1: The analog io board that accompanied old analog Bemani games is NOT required with the discs available here unless you want to hook up the cabinet lights.

Note 2: Because there is no io board requirement, analog bemani games will function with no expansion board present at all. This means you can buy some old 573 of eBay, such as a Fisherman's Bait, and use it for analog mixes.

The majority of 573 Bemani games use a digital 573. A digital 573 contains a digital io board inside the 573. This board handles lights, decoding digital audio, and other game-specific tasks (such as stagepcb io in DDR). There is no way to get around needing this board since it handles decoding the digital audio from the CD-ROM.

If you have a digital 573 and wish to play an analog mix, there is no need to remove the digital io board. It will not harm the board nor affect gameplay. You will however still need to hook up the analog audio to the CD-ROM drive. Since you need to open the 573 anyway, feel free to remove the digital io if you're worried. Just a tad more work swapping back and fourth.

Are there any non Bemani 573 games worth playing?

Depends on your tastes. There are a few BishiBashi games and other miscellaneous games available. While a small subset of these non Bemani games have been hacked and are available here, the majority of them have been left untouched and are not currently playable without a legit kit.

Are 573s the same regardless of what game they were pulled from?

For the most part, yes. Different games do however have different break out panels on the 573 (where everything hooks up to the io board inside the unit). This is usually were external io boards and lights are connected.

When using a 573 with a type of game other than what was originally intended (such as playing DDR with a 573 from a Drummania cab), it is suggested to NOT connect any of the break out connectors. This is true even for playing DDR doubles mixes on solo cabs as well. In reality, it shouldn't harm anything if you leave them hooked up, but better safe than sorry since they will behave differently.

I need to replace my 573's CD-ROM drive. What drive do I need?

The 573 is quite picky about what CD-ROM drive it will work with, especially when running analog games. The following is a community-made list of drives that are confirmed working in the 573:

I don't have an original cab. Can I still play the games if I have the 573?

The short answer is yes. Certain games of course, such as DanceManiax, have unique forms of player input that may be difficult to mimic without the actual cabinet.

Using unintended cabinets

Most Bemani 573 games do not have any special functionality that stops them from booting in unknown cabinets. DDR on the other hand does. When attempting to boot a DDR 573 in a cabinet not designed for the game, you need to use a "No Check", denoted NC, hack version. This denotes that all cabinet dependencies have been removed from the disc to allow the game to boot.

DDR without the doubles stage io

The most classic example of trying to use a Bemani game in an unintended cab is trying to boot a DDR doubles mix without the stage digital io connectors hooked up. Without a "No Check" version, this results in a hard-ware error on boot.

If you wish to use the doubles stage without the digital io connectors hooked up (hell, I do; we all have our reasons), even with a "no check" version, it will be necessary to jump two pins on both the 1P and 2P stage digital io connectors. This tricks the stagepcbs inside the stage into thinking everything is all fine and dandy.

The pins that need jumped are pins 1 and 6:I have a DDR Solo cabinet. Can I play the doubles mixes in it?

Sure can! You will however (unless you have 4th or 4th+ solo) need to find a 32MB flashcard if you wish to play the majority of DDR mixes.

Solo cab wiring differences

Solo DDR cabs have a bit of wiring done differently from their doubles cab counterparts. If booting a doubles mix on a solo cab, the L/R select buttons will not function, only one sensor per arrow will be active during play, and the Left and Down arrows act as both the Left and Down arrows and the L/R selects.

As a general fix for all doubles mixes, a jamma adapter can be built to account for the different mapping. To build an adapter to play doubles mixes in a solo cab, following these steps:

* Purchase a jamma extender or a jamma fingerboard/edgeconnector from somewhere like jammaboards.com
For the following steps, the "Solo" side is the male edge (exposed pins) and the "Doubles" side is the female edge (plastic edge connector). These are written from the perspective of using a jamma extender. If using a fingerboard, these represent the non-matched wirings; any unmentioned pins would be straight through.

* On the solo side, move the wire attached to pin 23 to 26 (fixes left select)
* On the solo side, move the wire attached to pin 24 to dd (fixes right select)
* On the solo side, jump pins 18 and Z (the two up sensors)
* On the solo side, jump pins 19 and 24 (the two down sensors)
* On the solo side, jump pins 20 and 23 (the two left sensors)
* On the solo side, jump pins 21 and aa (the two right sensors)
* On the solo side, jump pins U, 27, and 28 (grounds)
* On the solo side, jump pins ee and ff (grounds)
* Cut the wire connecting pin U on the solo side to pin U on the doubles side. Add a NO (normally open) switch in the middle. This is your 2P start button for use with changing settings in the service menu.

For the DDR and DancingStage mixes, the flashcard needs to be in Slot2. For GuitarFreaks, the flashcard must be in Slot1.

Some older DDR mixes were believed to require a 1MB flashcard to run. This isn't exactly true. The short answer is that the games will run fine without one present.

Will any 32MB flashcard do the trick? What about a CF reader?

Don't waste your money trying cheap ATA pcmcia cards or CF readers and the like. The 573 is extremely picky and the flashcard needs to be a 32MB linear flash type card at the minimum.

At this time, only one unofficial card has been confirmed to work:
* 32MB Pretec Linear PCMCIA Flash memory (PN# F13032W) eBay search

While there are other cards that possibly worked, it is generally suggested to just stick to using an official card if you have the means.

What do I need to be able to use the discs available here?

The absolute minimum you need to use the discs here is a 573 with a usable bootrom/modboard and, if playing a digital mix, a digital io board in the 573.

All of the uploaded discs here are made to work with the official Konami 700A01 bootrom and universal modboards.

There are different kinds of modboards/EEPROM chips? How do I know which I have?

The type of EEPROM you have can be determined by its physical characteristics.

* Konami boot rom - A single IC chip not mounted on a PCB. It has KONAMI 700A01 printed on it.
* Konami 700B01 boot rom - A single IC chip not mounted on a PCB. It has KONAMI 700B01 printed on it and was used in Dancing Stage EuroMix2 cabinets.
* Universal modboard - A PCB with 3 ICs on it, usually accompanied by a few resistors.
* Single Mix modboard - A PCB with more than 3 ICs on it.
* Betson boot rom - A single IC chip with pasty shit on it covering the window in the center. Does not say KONAMI on it.

For reference:

I don't have an original Konami boot rom. Do I need to buy one?

If you want to reduce the amount of hassle in your life, sure; go for it. You can usually pick one up on eBay from Julius (ju707). Send him a message and he'll usually sell you one for around $20. Anthony on sows has reproduced boot roms for $25. They function exactly like the original official boot rom except aren't as hard to find. Send him a PM for more info.

That aside, it is NOT necessary to purchase an original boot rom. Yes, I know people have told you otherwise. Don't listen to them!

Playing any 573 game with a single mix modboard

If you're stuck with a single mix modboard, you can muck with the discs of the game to make them work with whatever modboard/bootrom you have. If you have a universal modboard, this shouldn't be necessary since it should already work with the hacks here.

The primary difference between modboards and legit boot roms is the name of the executable loader on the disc. Konami boot roms and universal modboards look for "PSX.EXE", which is the stock loader name and used on the uploaded games here. Single mix modboards and Betson boot roms look for a different file.

Making games work with your single mix modboard/bootrom depends on what modboard you have. You need to edit the image of the discs and change the name of the PSX.EXE file to the following...

This should allow your modboard to properly boot the disc. If your modboard isn't listed here, feel free to send me an image of the disc that came with your modboard and I'll figure out what to rename the file to.

I see several different types of hacks available. What are the differences?

To properly use any of the available hacks, you must first be familiar with the DIP switches on the 573.

The 573 contains one bank of DIP switches to the right of the JAMMA edge connector. For our purposes, the only DIP switch of interest is 4 (farthest from the JAMMA edge). This DIP specifies whether the 573 should load from the onboard memory or the CD-ROM. When performing an installation, all DIP switches should be off (flipped up).

There are three primary types of hacks available:

* MD - Multi Disc - Two disc sets that includes an INSTALL cd and a GAME cd. As the names suggest, the INSTALL disc is used to install and the GAME disc is used to play. To use, ensure all dip switches are off and insert the INSTALL disc. Turn on the machine and let it install. When finished, replace the disc with the GAME cd and power cycle the cabinet.
* SD - Single Disc DIPSW4 - A single disc hack used to both install and play the game. To use, ensure all dip switches are off and insert the disc. Turn on the machine and let it install. When finished, flip dip switch 4 to on and power cycle the cabinet.
* SD - Single Disc NoDIP - A single disc hack used to both install and play the game. To use, ensure all dip switches are off and insert the disc. Turn on the machine and let it install. When finished, press the test button to boot the game. All subsequent boots will go directly into game mode.

The only real differences are in regards to how to install the game. Once installed, the game will play just it was original intended, regardless of the hack type.

I tried to create a disc of a 573 game and it won't load. Whats wrong?

It could be a varity of things. Some of the most common, easier things to check include the following:

* Make sure to burn the disc in MODE2 with any fancy features (like Joliet or extended filenames) turned off.
* Ensure you're using an acceptable EEPROM/modboard.
* Check that your CD-ROM drive is good. Analog games are pickier than digital games so, if attempting to boot an analog game, ensure the CD-ROM drive works with other analog discs.

I want to add songs from an old mix to a newer mix for some unacceptable reason. Is this possible?

Yes, but stop asking. The hacks provided here are solely to allow people to play the older games as they were intended, not to muck with the original content.

If you wish to fiddle and muck with the game data, we won't stop you, or even stop you from showing off your results, but don't expect us to start "taking requests" for customized 573 mixes or the info to do so.

If you insist on modifying the game data, to make your life easier, it is suggested to just use this modified loader that will allow booting with modified onboard data. This is incredibly convenient when messing around with the flashcard data or theme graphics.

Congratulations! You're one of the lucky few to have a flashrom chip on the 573's mainboard die on you. You have a few possible options:

1) Call up Betson and mail them your 573. They should repair it even if its modboarded/bootlegged/whatever. This will run you about $400-450 when everything is said and done.

2) Buy a new pcb on ebay. The mainboard of the 573 is called a "GX700". You can sometimes find these on eBay all by their lonesome self. Alternatively, you could buy a cheap old analog 573 for a different game and steal it's GX700. You can usually pick up either the board or an old 573 for under $100.

3) Buy replacement chips and replace them on your GX700 yourself. These chips have tiny leads and need to be soldered in place. This option is more than likely not available to you as it requires certain skill and tool sets.

Option number 2 is the most suggested option. Don't throw the old GX700 out though; you never known when you or someone else may need a component off it.

HybridStorm has the equipment to replace these if necessary, so feel free to get in contact with him should you face this issue.

My 573's RTC RAM is bad. What do I do?

Congratulations! You're in a slightly less exclusive group where the battery piggypacking the RTC chip on the 573's mainboard has died. This battery is just like any other battery and can die over time. Once the supplied voltage drops below a certain level, the chip write protects itself. This means you can still boot your unit but will not be able to successfully write to it (making installation of new mixes a tad annoying).

Since most 573s were manufactured late 90s early 2000s, these batteries are being pushed to the limit. You have a few possible options:

1) Attempt tricking it whenever it is necessary to install. Turn the unit on and let it boot whatever mix is currently installed but just let it sit there at the RTC RAM Cleared message. After a few minutes, switch to the install cd you want and power cycle the unit quickly. If you're lucky, the rtc ram will not be write locked when the installation begins.

2) Buy a new IC and replace it yourself. This is the chip you'd need. If you're lucky, you're board will have this chip in a socket (its believed its not socketed by default)

3) Buy a new GX700 on ebay. This of course runs the risk of also having a dead battery on arrival.

4) Get a hold of HybridStorm on sows. He has offered to replace it for anyone who will send him their gx700 and pay for it.

Cabinet Pinouts
The following are jamma pinouts for a variety of different Bemani cabinets.

Drummania

The Games

Dance Dance Revolution

Notes:

Security Cassette:
None of the DDR discs listed here require a security cassette. Ensure one is never inserted during operation with any of these discs.

IO Connectors:
None of the DDR discs listed here require the 1P/2P IO connectors be attached. However, if they are not attached, pins 1 & 6 on each connector will need bridged in order to allow the pads to function. All discs should be considered "No Check" NC discs (the tag isn't present to help simplify the tagging).

Key:SD: Single Disk: Requires flipping DIP-SW 4MD: Multi Disk: Separate install and game discsNP: Credit modes disabledSC: Requires a security cassette during game mode (doesn't have to be legit or a certain cassette type; one just needs to be there)

Guitar Freaks

Notes:

Security Cassette:
Unless spelled out otherwise by a specific mix, a security cassette should never be inserted.

Key:SD: Single Disk: Requires flipping DIP-SW 4MD: Multi Disk: Separate install and game discsSC: Requires a security cassette during game mode (doesn't have to be legit or a certain cassette type; one just needs to be there)

Dance Maniax

Notes:

Security Cassette:
None of the DMX discs listed here require a security cassette. Ensure one is never inserted during operation with any of these discs.

Flash Card:
Ensure a flash card is not inserted when using any of theses discs. Otherwise an "OBJECT 2D DATA.BIN" error may be encountered on boot.

RTC RAM:
If the RTC RAM's battery has died in your 573, the DMX Super Disc can still be used.